Fate Revelation Online - Tales from the Mid-Liners
by Born of Prayers
Summary: A Spin-Off of Fate Revelation Online by Daniel gudman centered around those who take to the Mid-Lines rather than the Front-Lines. This is a recursive fanfiction made with his express permission. It takes place after a number of months in the game, so spoilers may be present from the main fanfic.
1. Chapter 1-1

**Fate/Revelation Online - Tales from the Mid-Liners** is a recursive fanfiction based off Fate Revelation Online by Daniel_gudman and made with his express permission. It takes place after a number of months in the game, so spoilers may be present from the main fanfic.

* * *

**Sword Art Online**—a game designed by the genius Kayaba Akihiko, where you sought to conquer all one-hundred floors of the world of Aincrad through the use of blades. Made with the latest advances in VR technology and the use of the NerveGear to allow for complete immersion, it allowed you to accomplish any goal or go anywhere with a sword in hand. That was the lure that drew in ten-thousand people from all over Japan…and the lure that trapped ten-thousand people inside at once, no way out except for death or to clear the hundred floors.

It was no longer a game, but reality for those who were trapped inside. With the introduction of the [Thaurmaturgy Patch], the first content expansion that appeared with no prior warning, the realization of mysteries and wonders became possible. In other words, [Magecraft] fell into the hands of those who now existed in this world.

In light of the changes there were those who took to the front lines and sought to clear the floors as fast as possible, venturing into the wild unknowns of the new and mysterious world at the behest of a man whose motives were unknown to the players within the game at this point. Armed with [Spells] and [Swords] they searched for the elusive [Floor Boss] on each floor and waged fierce and blood battle to slay it, moving onto the next floor to do that same. These [Front-Liners] carved a path forward for those left behind to follow at their own leisure.

This is a story about those who came in on the heels of those [Front-Liners], who followed in their tracks. This was a story about those whose purpose was not to advance with the 1% that stood on the top, but to support them and discover what was left untouched off the path that was forged ahead. This was a story about those known as [Mid-Liners]…

And this tale in particular was the meeting of five that took place four months into the game.

**-o0o-**

_1st Floor – Outskirts of Starting City_  
The wind rolled past the grasslands that surrounded the largest city within the game of [Sword Art Online], the aptly named Starting City. As the breeze whistled through the sea of green that rustled as it bent to its whims, one player in particular could be found away from the path of trampled earth that led to and from the gates.

It was here that Ken Mori, known within this world by the username of [Endel], stood in the face of two [Frenzy Boars] that he had provoked into attacking him. Dressed in light armor, the brown-haired young boy of nine years of age felt confident in facing off against these trash mobs, his eyes not hiding that fact. He had slain at least two-hundred over the course of the month-and-a-half he had been sneaking to this spot every morning after his brother left out, never venturing further to avoid the risk of his brother finding him doing what he expressly forbid instead of staying inside the [Safe Zone], like he was his mother or something.

He was Level 7 already! Higher than those kids in the Church by far (even though it was because that Sasha lady didn't let them experiment with the magic system) and even most of the adults in the city (although that was because the ones who were that level were typically on higher floors)! And he did it all on his own, without anyone else's help (okay, a little help)!

At that level the trash mobs around there only provided a pittance of XP. But they did have their purpose. Because of how simplistic their attack patterns were and how they only reacted when provoked, they allowed him to experiment with the magic system of the game that he had chosen to learn: [Rune Magecraft].

He had heard good things about it from when a [Red-Haired Cactus-Headed Player] appeared in the Center Plaza of the city in an effort to recruit more players into a guild called the [Paladins]. It was supposedly an Art that realized mysteries through the use of a [Magic Foundation] that relied on simple letters and the guild sold a primer of their basic uses and advice from the leader of their guild himself, [The Paladin's Guide to Runes for Beginners] for a single [Col], the currency of the game. So he bought and read it when he was in his room alone, while his brother was busy, learning about this system some of the things that could be done with it.

Just like that, he made up his mind and moved to act. He wouldn't lie if asked; the [Circuit Activation] had hurt more than anything in his life. It was like a hot and arid twister stirred inside him, eroding pathways that were like canyons through his body that were suddenly filled with boiling water. But now look at him.

Even though he was still wielding an outdated [Small Sword] and equipped with [Light Leather Armor], he had earned enough Col from dealing with so many [Fury Boars] that Endel had managed to go through [Consecration] and determined his element was that of [Wind] itself.

Taking a step forward, he readied himself as the first of the [Fury Boars] charged him with a simple and predictable charging skill, which he avoided. There would be a small lag before it could charge again, so he paid it little mind and focused on the other one in front of him. It would serve as his test subject for his experimentation into his own brand of spells after over a month of practicing, the [Runic Lens].

Using [Psychogenesis] he generated his imaginary element. Saying it generated pure wind was wrong, but instead it generated the gases which shifted and formed wind. As it lacked a truly physical form or any damaging properties on its own upon creation, the wind itself held little offensive power at his skill level. However, he had found his own use for it combined with his [Rune Magecraft].

The main issue with using runes was that they needed to be engraved upon a surface as trying to rist a rune upon the world itself without a medium, such as earth or steel, made it easier for the cardinal system to wipe it away unless the prana used was so dense and great that it distorted the world around it. But, Endel wondered what if he used his element as a medium instead. What if he used the gases that formed the wind itself as a buffer against the Cardinal's effects?

So he compressed the gases, making them denser, until they formed a thin lens that was also a canvas, upon which he could engrave the rune. By setting his finger alight with prana and placing it within the lens, he could engrave it with a rune that would remain fixed in place and allow his magical energy to flow through it. Thus, like light through the image of a projector lens, the mystery of the rune could be unleashed and allowing for even the conversion of imaginary elements.

In this case he decided to utilize the rune of cold and stillness, [Isa]. Engraving the simple line into the center of the lens as the second [Fury Boar] prepared to cross the distance and attack him, the rune shimmered and he sent a surge of prana he sent through it. The surging energy flowed into the [Runic Lens: Isa] and came out as a narrow gale of howling hoarfrost that ran over the grass, fanning out the further it went and making it crystalline and brittle as the frozen winds battered against the charging [Fury Boar].

The effort drank deep his reserves, but the mob came to a stop as its HP hit the zero mark and it collapsed while covered in rime. It soon shattered into countless polygons and Endel smiled as the first testing was successful, even though his body burned and his concentration wavered. He definitely couldn't use something like that without refining it.

It was then he heard the squeal of the other [Fury Boar] and recalled there was another one. Spinning on the soles of his feet, he turned to see it charging him. While it wouldn't do much damage, it was probably going to hurt a little, so he braced his sword in a guard position and awaited the impact…which never came, as a brown blur smacked into the boar from the side and ended its linear charge.

With all the recent patches, a lot of things changed. So when what he recognized now as a crossbow bolt pierced its skull and came out the other end, white fragments and pink brain matter left the exit wound with a spout of blood as it fell mid-charge and skidded across the grass. Only after a few moments passed did it shatter into bluish pixels and vanished, leaving no drop behind.

Endel didn't need to guess who it was that stole his kill. He knew already, as there was one crossbow-user he knew personally who would interfere with his affairs. His stomach dropped as he slowly turned to the direction from which the bolt came and his hazel-brown eyes met with forest-green ones. He had been caught red-handed. "Nii-sama…"

Chikashi Mori, or [Endri] to everyone else, stood there with his [Wooden Crossbow] on his shoulder and a frown on his face. He was a young man of seventeen with hair dyed the color of the horizon sun, earth-toned boots, and a full-body cloak, long-sleeved shirt, and trousers that matched his eyes. His displeasure was quite apparent as he rhetorically asked, "Where do I begin to start?"

**-o0o-**

_Forest to the Northwest of Starting City - One Hour Ago_

Looking at the time located on his HUD, Endri mentally noted there was a minute left until it was time to move. Once that time passed the [Little Nepents] would be in position as he had considered optimal, following their set patterns every day when originally drawing up a personal map of the forest. As long as no one entered into that part of the forest and Aggro'd them, they would be there.

So, with his [Magic Circuits] already filled from [Generating Od], he flipped the imagery switch in his head to activate [Reinforce Agility] and bolster his legs to increase his [AGI] stat. While he had learned from [Argo's Guide] the basics of using the general spell, he wasn't willing to risk using it on an eye to ensure a hit, nor strengthening the [Wooden Bolt] that he was about to fire when it didn't need to be enhanced any further or laced with a moderately priced poison of some kind. If he missed he could take as many more shots as long as it was done within thirty-seconds, so as to not make deviations to his plans.

Even though the ammunition wasn't as cheap as [Throwing Picks] he at least found it easier to keep himself stocked with basic ammunition once he picked up magecraft beyond the basics of the basics and bought the instructions to make them from the NPC who sold them, since the resources could be found in the forest. As part of unlocking his own particular Art of choice, [Druid Magecraft], he gained an exclusive skill slot irrelevant to his level that couldn't be replaced or exchanged called [Foraging], which let him gather and stock any natural resource in the game, whether an increased rate in drops from mobs by 5% or wood from trees. Although he had to equip a [One-Handed Axe] to do so from the trees and had to switch out on his [Dagger] skill as a result to use said axe, he could harvest the wood easy enough, just like he harvested branches from the [Apple Trees] to make woodchips, and the feathers he needed were dropped from the birds that often picked at the ripe berries of the [Rowan Trees].

Taking a second to think things over, Endri found it somewhat funny. It was the fact that he felt comfortable in the forest, sitting on the thick lower branch of a tree limb while taking aim with his crossbow at a hive of [Forest Bees]. After all, his last name in real life meant "Forest" and "Death" in Japanese and Latin, and he found himself in a "Forest" while in a "Death Game".

The moment the HUD timer hit zero, he pulled the trigger of the his ranged weapon and the string twanged loudly as it was released from its taut position, sending the bolt traversing empty space and spearing through the hive. It fell to the ground and tripped the trap that the hive served as, spawning four yellow and black [Forest Bees] that sought out the nearest player and didn't switch targets until they were out of range from the spawn location, which was made traversable when strengthened by his current spell. But since he needed them out of the way instead of loitering around his prizes until they vanished, he waited for them to start coming after him before he abandoned his perch and fell to the green below, allowing them to chase him.

As he moved through the forest with a practiced grace his [Stamina] dropped within expected calculations, until he managed to kite the swarming bees into a group of [Little Nepents] and used his enhanced legs to clear them with a jump. The predatory plants preyed on the [Forest Bees], their red lips that drooled with nectar opening and closing, sharp teeth crashing down upon the exoskeletons of the yellow and black insects that spilled inhuman fluids before they broke apart. They would certainly attempt to go after him next, but he had already doubled back to make to where the hive was.

It was there that he found the two drops that appeared whenever a hive was destroyed for a set amount of time, [Honey] and [Beeswax]. Taking them into his inventory, he considered the foraging of this particular point done for the day and prepared to move onto the next spot when he received a PM from a player-run shop owner requesting a delivery of twenty units of [Vulnerary Salve]. It was a unique ointment that he learned to make as part of learning [Druid Magecraft] from the [Wandering Druid NPC] on this floor and could be made from the common resources around the first floor.

While he had enough [Beeswax] with this last one in his inventory, he didn't have enough [Betony] and would need to go to the grasslands around the city to stock up on them. The best spot to collect them just so happened to be where some distance from the gates, near the normally unoccupied central area. It was here that he gathered up bundles of them and where he just so happened to catch his little brother doing exactly what he told him not to and practicing magecraft against trash mobs with his back open to attack from the one behind him.

When they got ready to play the game his parents pulled him aside and told him to look after his brother. Naturally, he rolled his eyes and wondered how much trouble the shrimp could get into playing as some burly Avatar in a game. Then the stakes changed and he had to take things seriously.

Originally he kept himself and the shrimp inside of Starting City so they could wait for the adults on the outside to do something. After two months passed with no luck, it became abundantly clear they were on their own and they couldn't really survive on a pension alone. So Endri took to becoming a [Gatherer] while forbidding his brother from leaving the city, never going too much further than the forest where he just so happened to stumble across an NPC that wasn't there before the 4th floor was cleared and learned his current magecraft of choice.

Taking aim to the point between the [Fury Boar] and Endel as his little brother's admittedly impressive spell ended and his guard was down, he let loose a bolt from his weapon of choice since ranged weapons were enabled and nailed it in the head. Once you got the speed of the charge down and took into account how fast the bolts crossed a certain distance, it was a 50/50 chance of a head shot or nailing its body. But at his level it would be killed in a single shot regardless.

Endel turned to him with a look that was akin to being caught with his hand in the cookie jar before dinner and said, "Nii-sama…"

"Where do I begin to start?" Endri mused aloud, drumming his free fingers against his outer thigh as he stood there in thought on how to practically punish him.

"W-why are you back this early?" Endel asked, with his voice somewhat frail.

"An order for more salve came in and due to the amount and lack of ingredients I had to cut the usual gathering short," he told him, his boots falling upon the grass with soft crunches as he walked forward. "To think you were out doing something like this when I was away…considering that spell you've been doing this a lot, haven't you?"

"I…" Endel trailed off as his brother now stood in front of him, towering over him by a good foot-and-a-half.

"I told you to stay in the city," he said sharply, his green eyes narrowed as he looked down upon his younger brother. "Do you have any idea how dangerous it is out here? What if something happened? Did you ever think about if something went wrong and you died? How sad our parents would be because you went out and nearly got yourself killed? Honestly, if I hadn't taken that shot you would have gotten a tusk to the back."

"I had it under control!" the younger boy argued. "I was in a guard position, so I would have been fine! Besides, you're a hypocrite saying all that when you go out all the time to that forest up north!"

"To support us," Endri stated with his tone bland, despite being annoyed. "For starters you always rush headlong into things without thinking about the consequences. I plan things ahead. I have every inch of that forest mapped out, including every mob spawning point and every resource location, and I always have a way out. My priority is survival when it comes to this world…but you just want to have fun, thinking that this is the game we originally signed up for."

Endel shook his head. "That's not true!"

"Whatever," Endri huffed as he walked past his little brother and plucked a [Betony] out of the grass, the purple flowers of the herb shaking as he lifted it. "This is the last one I needed. Let's go back now."  
Heat gathered in the younger boy's face as he gritted his teeth. His brother was always like this since they got in the game, demanding he stayed in one place with nothing to do, like he was some helpless little kid. With his sword shaking in his grip, he cried, "I don't want to just stay in one place all the time!"

"Well, you think I like being promoted to the role of a parent and having to watch out for you?" Endri countered. "When we get back I'm taking all of your equipment and leaving you with the woman in the Church who watches over the rest of the kids when I go out, since I can't trust you not to leave home on your own anymore."

"I hate you!" Endel yelled without thinking, his eyes stinging. He was getting stronger and independent, yet his brother was going to push him to go be with a bunch of little kids like he couldn't take care of himself. "You used to be cool!"

He stopped walking at that. There was silence for a moment, until he spoke in a voice that was more somber than before. "Neither one of us is satisfied with how things turned out. But I can't play the role of a 'Cool Big-Bro' here. Not when the stakes are so high.

"Now…" Glancing over his shoulder at his younger brother, his eyes narrowed to the point they felt like daggers being pressed against his skin. "Let's. Go."

The tone left no room for argument and nothing his little brother said would sway him. Endel fell in line, following his brother into Starting City. The small place they stayed at was a two-bedroom apartment on a second floor they rented after Endri started earning Col from his gathering from the forest.

Since the taste engine made most food bland, [Honey] was appreciated. Even though it was somewhat of a luxury item for the people who received just enough Col to live from the [Mutual Aid Society], which was a subsidiary of the [Aincrad Liberation Force], some would occasionally splurge and there were other [Mid-Liners] and [Front-Liners] who would buy it.

With the patches that made wounds bleed his [Vulnerary Salve] provided a means of stopping the bleeding and healing the wounds that didn't waste prana by using the [Cure] spell to make fake flesh. While how long it took to completely patch up the wounds depended on how deep they were, the salve clung to the flesh and stopped bleeding instantly like a bandage. Considering that pain was present and concentration wavered when under too much of it, making it difficult to use any spell if things were bad enough, it was an alternative means of healing that was sought out by many.

A few shopkeepers had sought out the recipe for it. As it was only learned from the [Wandering Druid NPC] in this floor and the magecraft taught by the NPC wasn't as commonplace yet, he could still get some mileage out of it. Since anyone of an appropriate level would normally go to the higher floors to gather or explore, rather than checking every inch of the northwestern forest, he could provide it for an ample fee until the knowledge stopped being exclusive to him, after which he would sell it to an Information Broker and go from there.

No sooner than they go through the door, Endel ran straight into his room and locked the door. While meaningless, as he could open it because he was the one who rented it, Endri found it just as well since it kept his little brother out of the way as he started on the salve to sell. It would take a bit of time to make and cool, after which he would take it to the shop and restock on ammunition and supplies. Then he would sit down and lay out the new ground rules with the stubborn nine-year old…

Of course, if he had known how upset his brother truly was then maybe he would have also thought about the fact that there was a window in his room. One that Endel could open and climb down to the ground-level since, after all, if he hung off the ledge the ten-foot drop became a six-foot one that didn't so much hurt.

Thus he was blissfully unaware that the young boy had run off towards the gates…

**-o0o-**

_Outside the Gate of Starting City_

Yasumi Sakata, known to all but one within this world as [Aoili], stood with Starting City to her back and the grasslands surrounding it to her front, expanding as far as her amethyst-eyes could see. The sixteen year old student wearing a black [Heavy Wool Cloak] with the hood down, allowing her onyx-colored hair to dance in the light breeze, hadn't been back after she had set up shop on a higher floor to take advantage of the resources they presented, so she had felt somewhat nostalgic while there. To think it had been a little over four months since [Aincrad] became her reality was something she had trouble believing…or rather how quickly she adapted compared to so many others, including a dear friend named Yumina, who she hadn't seen since the end of the first month.

She looked back at Starting City, knowing that the person within [Aincrad] she treasured the most was there. Probably in the same room they stayed in during for that first month, now supported on the pension provided by the [Mutual Aid Society]. It hurt, not seeing despite coming all this way to restock before she went about her business.

She thought to blame it on the time and distance between them playing a major factor. As one who held down multiple jobs, one being an [Amulet Crafter], and because of the latest challenges on the floors, her time and resources were fairly sparse. If she wasn't working then she was researching and experimenting to further her craft.

While Aoili sent her a weekly PM as per usual, it went unanswered as all the others had, so it was pretty clear that the wounds from their argument were still festering. The rift between them was too wide a gap to fill at this point with a simple PM, she supposed. While she was sure she would need to visit her in person to make amends, Aoili just couldn't face Yumina after seeing the sheer anger on her face.

That expression was burned into her memory, the words resonating in her heart. Not just because her dear friend was out of line, but because she was right to an extent. Aoili found this world they were imprisoned in somewhere she thrived and was able to find a purpose. At times she wondered…if she was trapped inside without the weight and responsibility of Yumina's life on her shoulders, would she ever want to leave?

Aoili wasn't sure, but at present she still had to do something to push away the myriad of feelings. So she focused on what she could do to remain productive to the joint cause of clearing the game without taking part on the front-lines. And she would continue to do so until she could gather the courage to apologize to Yumina, face-to-face.

As she turned to proceed with the next item on her agenda, in the Lake Region to the northeast of the city, she noticed a young boy running through the gates. Out of the initial thousands of players, kids were some of the rarest ones to actively take part in anything and never usually without some form of supervision or party members to watch out for them. Given that night would come to pass soon, she couldn't help but wonder where he was doing out unattended.

So when the brown-haired youth came to a stop, breathing heavily as though he burned through his [Stamina] meter, she asked. "Are you going out there by yourself? It's dangerous at this time."

"I can…take care of…myself!" the boy claimed between heavy breaths, his eyes narrowed at the young woman. "Why does everyone keep treating me like a child?"

Because you are one, she thought to herself. Still, sensing she hit some kind of sensitive topic she raised her hands in order to pacify him. "Sorry, sorry. It's just that there's maybe another hour of light left and mobs at night are both numerous and tougher than during the daytime, so no one should try to go it alone. Depending on where you plan to go, it can be too dangerous for you to go alone and might need to wait until morning."

With his expression easing out as he took in that tidbit of information he muttered, "Is that so…?"

She nodded. "The forest to the northwest itself is pretty bad since without a decent source of light or magecraft catered to it, you won't be able to see well. Did you bring any [Torch] items with you?"

Looking abashed it shook his head. He didn't exactly run out with anything on him beyond what he already had in his inventory. His first thought was to leave before his brother took away his sword and his freedom. "I don't…so, I just won't go that way!"

"Then you're going to the same place I am?" she asked.

"I guess…?" he said, although it came out as more of a question. "I just go the opposite side of the forest, right?"

Crossing her arms at the sight and tilting her head, she found his expression and question odd for someone who was in such a rush. It left her wondering if he knew what he was getting into. "By any chance, do you not have the map data for that part of the floor?"

He shook his head. "No…"

"Then how will you know where you're going?" Aoili asked. Even though it was clear at this point he didn't plan on this at all, she waited for him to try and say something to defend himself. When he didn't, she kneeled down and touched his shoulder. "It really might be better if you waited inside the city if you're this unprepared."

"I won't go back!" he declared, closing his eyes as the corners started to tear up. "If I do, I won't be able to leave…I don't want to stay there and have someone looking after me like a little kid! I can fight too!"

"So you're not going to go back?" she asked once more for confirmation, to which he made clear he wouldn't and his muscles tensed to run away. It wasn't like she could force him back, but if he ran off like this alone there was a good chance that he wouldn't survive. "Tell me, what level are you?"

"I'm almost Level 8!" the young boy declared with the pride in his voice clear.

She smiled softly at him. "Aren't you strong for your size then? In that case, how about you keep me company to the Lake Region?"

"You want me to party with you?" he asked skeptically. Given she was just telling him to go back, he was more afraid she would try to make him and treat him like a little kid.

"Yep," she told him, extending a party invitation to him. "To be honest, even though I'm a few levels higher it's all from experience given due to me researching with my Art. Combat really isn't my thing, so I wouldn't mind having someone strong to watch my back."

While that was true, she wasn't much of an experienced fighter, she knew how to take care of herself against the weak mobs on the floor. Really it was so she could keep an eye on him and make sure he didn't run off and get himself into any trouble. Even if she didn't know the kid, letting him run off to his death would leave a bad taste in her mouth and, since he was so young and stubborn, this was the only ways she could think of to do it. Hopefully she would also manage to at least figure out why he would be so brash to run out without being ready for what he could run into and discourage doing so in the future.

After a moment of conflict over what to do, Endel accepted the invite into a party with the player known as [Aoili] and the two began to walk towards the northeast...

**Part -1 End**


	2. Chapter 1-2

_Starting City_

The evening sun was reaching for the horizon and made the world in the distance seem to waver as Yumina Noemi, or simply [Yumina], looked past the panes of glass that served as the sole window in her home from her bed and towards the tower in the distance that rose endlessly. She was bored, to say the least. It was the same sight everyday as she waited for someone else to clear the game as a [Retired Player].

From the beginning she wasn't a fan of videogames. It was only because Aoili, her only real friend, wanted her to join her in this world that she put on the NerveGear and entered into the game. And now she was trapped.

She was trapped in a world where some lunatic was playing god and watching over them from somewhere, forbidding them from leaving until they submitted to his demands and played his game. She was trapped in a world where outside the walls of the [Safe Zones] were monsters that could kill them and end their lives, the sole sign they remained being a crossed out name on some stone tablet. She was trapped in a world with food that was simply not up to her standards, which were admittingly fairly high as she was used to a higher standard of living.

Fondling the last thing she received from her long gone friend, Yumina looked upon the [Concealment Pendant] with a conflicted gaze. This thing was a product of their last argument, the point at which it became clear that Aoili was intoxicated with the situation she found herself in, enamored by this elaborate cage that a madman trapped her in. It was the reason that their friendship was strained and would remain so until Yasumi came back and stopped playing this ludicrous game where she could die under the persona of Aoili.

Placing her forearm over her eyes, Yumina sighed and fell into a reverie on days gone past when the two stood side-by-side. Would those days ever come back if she remained in place? Or would she have to brave this new and dangerous world to see her again?

**-o0o-**

_Grasslands between Starting City and Lake Region_

"I've got this one too!" Endel declared as he rushed forward to confront the [Lesser Dark Wolf] that was charging at the pair, the steel of his [Short Sword] catching the light of the dying sun that was fading past the horizon. He dropped his body low and bent forward, drawing back his sword that turned azure, and was sent into a forward at a slight upwards angle as the [Rage Spike] skill went off.

At this point the wolf was somewhat aerial, having lunged for him with the intent on coming down and tearing open his throat. So the blade pierced through meat, bone, and fur of the trash mob to leave a trail of blood lingering in the air. The mob fell to the grass on its side, skidding a bit as the momentum carried it beyond its death, before bursting into pixels.

"That was pretty good," his companion for their journey, Aoili, told him. "That's the tenth mob you've taken down to this point without getting a scratch. I didn't even get a chance to draw out my rapier."

"I know, right?" He nodded to that, still caught up in the elation that he was feeling from her praise and the chance to venture out. "Not a scratch! And Nii-sama thinks I need to be watched over…"

To be honest, Endel felt nervous, excited, and grateful at the same time as he walked alongside the onyx-haired woman who looked about the same age as his brother. It showed as his grip on his sword in his right hand tightened, despite a few hours having passed as they set out. He was finally going further out than he ever did since the game started, partying with someone at that.

Lifting an eyebrow as a small smile came across her face, Aoili pointed out his slip of the tongue. "Ahh, you didn't tell me you had a big brother. Couldn't he have gone with you instead of you running out on your own so hastily?"

The brown-haired youth flinched at his mistake. "He's not an active player, so…"

Amethyst-shaded eyes furrowed. "Hmmm, is that so? Did you at least tell him where you were going? You wouldn't want him to worry about you, right?"

Endel could tell she was serious about it. Her tone was light, but fairly serious in the same manner his mother was back at home. But if he told Endri then he would tell him to come back or chase him down. Making the gesture to open his menu that was invisible to her, he said, "I'm doing it right now."

He pretended to write the message, typing in some things, and then setting it in his [Draft] folder before going through his [Rune Magecraft Spell Tree] and looking through the basic notes from the primer he bought to see which ones could be used as a source of light. While he had been experimenting with the system, truthfully he had been going through and focusing on a few in particular, with [Isa] being one of the first because it was the simplest shape to memorize.

He came across the rune [Dagaz], the rune of daylight. It was noted that it could allow for the conversion of prana into luminescence and the symbol was rather simple, being an [X] with both end points connected through a straight line. Endel came to a halt and was pulled out of his attention when it came to the rune when Aoili held her hand out to stop him. "Aoili-san? What's wrong?"

She pointed ahead, where there were five enemies grouped together. While four were just regular [Frenzy Boars] like by Starting City, perhaps with an additional level or two. However, at the center of the four was another one with a different color palette and at least twice the size of the normal boar-type mobs.

"It's called a [Fury Boar]," she told him. "It's basically a higher-level [Frenzy Boar], but it has an conditional attack that stuns players while around [Frenzy Boars] and triggers all the nearby ones to instantly target and run down the player. Given the response range we have to lure the rest away and pick them off before we move on."

Looking towards the ground she found a few small rocks that were loitering and picked one up, holding her hand back as she did until her hand shone in the glow of a skill being used and she threw the stone forward to hit the nearest [Frenzy Boar]. The stone left a welt where it hit and the boar left the gathering to charge them down. It was quickly dispatched by the young boy's sword, a [Horizontal] cleaving through it and letting fluids run before it burst into polygons. With one done, she proceeded to lure the next one over for him to dispatch, one after the other until the [Fury Boar] was left.

"Last one, Endel-kun," Aoili told him, reaching for her rapier's hilt. "I'll handle this one myself."

"I can finish it!" Endel declared as he rushed forward. Now that it couldn't use a stun attack, to him it was just a bigger version of those trash mobs from before. Plus, he wanted to impress Aoili further, so he thought to show off his new [Runic Lens: Isa] spell against the mob. As soon as he entered the response range and the mob turned hostile, he generated the lens, risted the rune, and called forth the frozen winds by pouring in his prana as the boar charged at him.

The [Fury Boar] charged forward and into the spreading fan of chilled winds that carried white and blue frost. It was in the middle of it, its health slowly dropping and its speed falling…but it didn't stop. The coating of rime was flaking off as fast as it was battering the boar and his prana reserves dwindled until the winds started petered out. The sensation of nothing being left to squeeze out hit Endel and the frozen winds stopped, leaving him exhausted and staring in fear as the boar charged down on him like a train upon a deer in the headlight.

Of course, he was slammed to the side before that could happen. Aoili had thrown herself at him and tackled him out of the way. It left him in her embrace, both on their sides in the grass as she trembled, with his hand in something warm and wet. He pulled his hand away to see her blood on it.

"Are you okay?" Endel managed ask, his voice small.

"I'm fine," she huffed as she got onto her feet and faced the boar that had stopped to shake off the rime. From behind her he could see where the cloak had been torn and crimson bled through. "The tusk grazed me, but I didn't lose too much health. I can close the wound after I handle this one, so focus on gathering mana."

Looking at the boar coming around again, she materialized a large rough crystal that was manually labeled [ ] as she felt the sensation of mana being drawn behind her to the young boy like an eddy was pulling it in. Pulling her arm back until the glow of the [Single Shot] throwing skill was pronounced, she flung it forward. The object was sent forward in a blur, crossing the distance while leaving a trailing light like the tail of a comet as it struck the boar of minimum damage…and then she snapped her fingers.

The stone rupture, exploding from the inside out. The jagged stone fragments that formed its body were now shrapnel that decorated the boar. The damage scored a [Critical Hit] and the [Fury Boar] went down, defeated, as its health was reduced to zero.

Aoili took a deep breath and then fell to her knees, her back wound aching and sapping her strength as it continued to stain the cloak. "Ow, ow, oww…"

"I'm really sorry," Endel apologized profusely, looking at the grass and afraid to look up. "It worked on the [Frenzy Boar] near the city. I was sure it would work…"

"But this one was bigger and a higher-level," she pointed out as she held a strange pendant to just above the wound and slowly transferred her prana through it, the colorless energy being transformed and tainted as it passed through the pendant and then onto her skin. "It has more HP and the size means that you have more area to cover to get to the same results. And, while I'm a layman when it comes to the use of runes, didn't that use up a lot of prana to pull off?"

Endel nodded somberly. He knew that already when he experimented on it back before his brother caught him. It was only his second time using that spell, but he wanted to impress the person he was with using more than his sword like he did until now. "I just wanted…"

She laid a gentle hand on the top of his head and ran in back and forth soothingly. "I'm not saying it was a bad thing to do, just that you should be more careful. Okay?"

"Kay," he said, his eyes rising as she turned her back on him to continue forward. It was there he noticed the wound was gone from the tear in her cloak and shirt beneath it. "You healed it?"

She nodded. "I'm a [Amulet Crafter] by trade, although I do [Talismans] as well, and [Gemstone Magecraft] is my specialty. It's a system where the properties of the stone and crystals are utilized. Some stones, for example, have properties that can be bestowed upon spells channeled through them, such as [Opal] having [Anti-Spiritual] properties. The pendant I used was designed for healing purposes by combining various ones that deal with different types of healing needs that have occurred with all the recent patches, such as closing wounds, stimulating the creation of blood and stemming the flow, mending broken bones, and so on…"

"So that explosion thing from before was part of your magecraft?" he asked.

"It's the only real offensive use I have for any of the gemstones at this point," she claimed. "I typically fill them with prana until they can't hold anymore and then create a Pass so that I can remotely add more at the right time. Anyway, once the threshold is breached it ruptures, like a balloon filled with too much air, the prana and fragments making it like a grenade.

"The properties of most of the stones can be imparted onto other things and beings, which is how I make the amulets and talismans I sell, but that's about all I can do with gemstones and crystals themselves at this point…although, I've been curious about something and wonder if you would want to help?"

"Sure!" he exclaimed immediately. If it would make up for his mistake, he would do whatever she wanted.

"You should at least wait until I say what it is I need help with, but…" She opened her menu with the unique gesture and surfed through her inventory before materializing a single [Small Rough Quartz] and [Engraving Pick]. The cloudy-white, rough crystal fell into her opened palm and she handed it to him. "Here you go."

Endel looked at it, noting it was a smaller version of what she threw, and the pick. "What is it?"

"A basic and unrefined [Cloudy Small Quartz]," she told him. "That what you're holding has no other purpose or quality except that it can store prana inside of it. And, because its unrefined and cloudy it can't hold as much volume as it could otherwise. I want to change that."

"How so?" Endel asked.

"Basically, the runes work by accessing a system already in place through pouring prana into shapes that fit the pre-set templates, right?" she inquired, to which he nodded. "Then what if you do like how you do with your element and engrave the rune into the crystal?"

He nodded slowly in understanding as he sketched the [Dagaz] rune he was studying before the battle onto the stone and then forced as much of his remaining prana, partially refilled from [Gathering Mana], into the small crystal and rune as fast as he could. "So if we place the rune on the crystal that serves as a source of prana then the crystal should be able to serve as a medium for the rune. So, if I were to use the stone plus a rune that creates light—"

It was at that moment she realized he was overdoing it and tried to stop him. "Wait, that's too much—"

The rune it was like a newborn star that died in that instant. It shone, generating a pure white light through the conversion of prana into some form luminescence with heat as well, that was quickly snuffed out as the entire crystal was now dust in his hands. Endel shook his hand clean and grimaced at the pain, not noticing his HP went down a bit. "Sorry, it broke."

She shook her head, instead apologizing to him as she carefully examined his hand. "No, I'm to blame. I underestimated your control when it comes to the transference and flow of prana and how much you would put into it, as well as the fact that the rune would draw out all the power at once and burn out the stone."

Her face took on a grim expression as she outlined what could have potentially have happened. "It was risky in more than one way because if the rune didn't release the prana before you managed to reach the threshold of what it could hold, it would have gone off like a firecracker with fragments as shrapnel at that size. Or worse, if your hand was closed it would have blown it off.

His stomach turned at the thought of that and his eyes fell upon his hand that now shook.

"How careless of me not to consider those as possibilities, but…." She materialized a [Medium Clear Quartz], one that was double-terminated, the size of her hand, and clearer than the one before. It was followed by her taking the [Engraving Pick] and using it to engrave something on it while muttering, "If we adjust the flow and transference of the prana so that it can be released when it goes through the first array…"

Endel watched in mild fascination as managed to accurately engrave some sort of semi-elaborate magic circle on it. There were three round layers that were lined through small pathways with one going straight up and out of the multiple layers. She then handed him the crystal and the tool she used to engrave the circle on it.

"This time don't fill it with prana," she said."Etch the rune into the crystal with that in the center of the circle and then give it here."

"It's not going to blow up, is it?" he asked, to be safe.

"No, there's no prana stored inside this time," she assured him. "The circle's a basic [Formalcraft] design for handling the output of prana within and object. It was part of my [Gemstone Magecraft Development Tree] after I earned a certain amount of experience in trying to regulate the flow of prana to and from various gemstones. However, since the branch ended there, I would assume any further or more efficient circles would need to be developed or sought out. Just engrave the shape of the rune and this time I'll handle the process of transference."

He cautiously drew the rune of daylight again and handed it to her. Taking the crystal into her left hand, she brought her thumb to her mouth and bit down just beneath the tip on the underside to trigger the blood patch into activating and filled the drop with as much prana as would afford to spare in this instance. The blood hit the engraving on the outermost pathway and transferred the prana into it, from which she controlled the flow by the circles acting as filters or regulators and only allowing a trickle of the total amount to seep into the rune at the heart of the array.

The rune shone with a light glow, not the overwhelming flare from before, and illuminated the pair's visage. It was then a window appeared with a minor fanfare above both of them and they received bonus XP for [Consolidated Magecraft Development]. The bonus was marginally higher than when Endel practiced on his own while Aoili rubbed her chin in thought.

"Interesting," she said after a moment. "So because we took our own magecraft and worked them into something together, we both receive more XP than if we did it within our own individual systems."

"I leveled up too," Endel stated somewhat subdued as his partner for the moment renamed the crystal in her hand and then transferred it over to him to be placed in his [Inventory]. It was named the [Glow Stone]. "Is this really okay for me to have?"

She nodded. "You said that you didn't have a [Torch] item or similar spell, so it would be more beneficial to you. In addition, now that I have an idea on how to combine these two magecrafts, I can start on a new series of crafts to develop. I hope I'll be able to count on you in the future for that too, partner?"

He nodded vigorously. "Yeah! I'd be glad to!"

Continuing their journey Endel noted the air around the grasslands felt moist and wet, and the grass sparsely parted in certain spots to house small pools of water that seemed to multiple and grow in size the further north they went. Small trees began to pop up around the vast greenery that abruptly ended in front of his gaze, leading to the horizon that was starting to turn fuchsia from the sun getting ready to set. As soon as they reached that point he discovered that it was the top of a slope, the grasslands further ahead fell downwards at an angle before evening out.

It eventually came to a stop when it led to a point where it joined the waters of the lake. Dotting the lakes were small islands, each one connected to one another through a bridge to one another, with the initial one on the shore and the final one leading to the shore on the opposite end that led to a mountainous region before the tower.

"It's over there," Aoili said, pointing to one island in specific, just before he central island that had a ruin that he could see. "We should be able to find [Fire Agate] there, along the shore of the islands. The stones themselves are easy to find, to the extent they can be bought in certain stores, but we're looking for a few [Abnormal Fire Agates]. "

"What's it do?" Endel asked as they made their way down the slope, past several pools of water that wouldn't spawn mobs until night fell.

"They have properties that can increase stamina, strength, as well as fairly weak protective properties, an [Abnormal Fire Agate] has a crystal formation inside that can be cut away into a [Druzy Crystal], which can amplify the effects five-fold," she explained. "I'd like to find three or so before heading back."

**-o0o-**

_Starting City_

Endri yawned as he walked the streets of the largest city in [Aincrad] and brushed his heavy eyelids with the back of his hands. Night had fallen and it had been time consuming, but he had finally finished producing enough [Vulnerary Salve] to take to the shop keeper and earn his pay. With it he restocked on supplies and poisons before making a stop and picking up something to eat for him and his brother.

Thinking about his nine-year old brother who hadn't come out of his room, he still wasn't sure what to do. While he could have the Church-woman watch over him, he couldn't technically take his supplies away from his inventory. But he had to do something before he got himself hurt sneaking out like that.

He could only imagine his parents worrying over him as they usually did, only this time they would be unable to do anything about their situation and would never know if both of them would wake up until the game was cleared…whenever that was. It could take years and left him stuck in the role of their parents to watch over him.

Their lives were his priority and so he had to do what he had to do to ensure them, even if some considered it cowardly compared to those who traversed the floors at the front lines in search of the boss. He was fine with being on the rear of things, no surprises or unexpected challenges, even if it did get rather boring in the end. It wasn't like he couldn't understand his brother's point there, so maybe he'd go with him to the second floor after getting the [Map Data] and just look around like a [Field Trip] or something.

Making it back home he noted the door was still locked to his brother's room. Out of some measure of respect he knocked on the door, hoping to wake him up if he cried himself to sleep or something. When no answer came after the third set, he overrode the lock as the main renter of the home and opened the door to find the room empty and the window open.

His brother was gone. "Son of a bi—"

The swearword was cut off as he received a private message addressed from his brother. Ignoring the timing, he was more focused on the subject line of the PM. It had only one word: **[HELP!]**

**Part 2 - End**


	3. Chapter 1-3

_Lake Region - An hour prior_

Endel found himself kneeling on the shore of one of the islands that littered the area he found himself in, holding the [Glow Stone] over the ground with one hand as he used the other to pick through the piles of [Fire Agate] that they had retrieved to find the one in specific that they were looking for. The player known as [Aoili] to him had shown him what one looked like, the subtle differences between it and the others, but according to her there was about a 1 in a 100 chance of finding them.

So far they had found only one and he was starting to get bored. This led to him absentmindedly throwing the stones that didn't match what he was looking for into the lake next to him, as far as he could, to entertain himself. It was purely by accident that he hit a water mob and aggro'd it, pulling an [Lesser Axolotl].

The amphibious mob had a wide head and lidless eyes, resembling a cross between a walking fish and a lizard. It was roughly two feet in height and about the same across, coated in a slick black substance and bearing teeth as it opened its maw and charged up the shore towards Endel. Drawing his [Small Sword] he quickly engaged it, avoiding its sluggish charge and bringing the point of his sword across its torso.

From the long gash came a bluish-green ichor that spilled onto the shore as the mob gave a short death throe before it vanished in an explosion of pixels. The mob was weak, but it gave relatively decent XP for the lack of difficulty and the pop rate was fast since mere moments after it had been slain another marker appeared. His interest further peaked, Endel picked up another of the useless stones and tossed it at the marker, reeling in another one and dispatching it with just as much ease as before.

Seeing the opportunity to grind and pass the time, he repeated the process of spotting the distant makers that lurked in the water and slaying the weak mobs when they came to the shore of the island. He had paid no mind to his weapon, which had seen much use that day and had not been tended to, nor did he have any idea that for each one slain it added to an event counter. The invisible counter rose until it reached a threshold and the [Lesser Axolotls] stopped spawning completely for a moment, leaving Endel to toss the unnecessary stones to ease his reoccurring boredom until he saw one marker suddenly springing into existence and took a shot at it in haste, without noting that it was thrice the size of a normal marker.

That was when things went to hell as the marker shifted to hostile and a shriek emerged from the lake that reverberated throughout the area like a bomb being dropped as the fauna of the island shook along with the bones in the young boy's body. The water shifted, curving around the large creature as it raised its massive head out of the water and fixed its lidless gaze upon the target of its unrelenting aggression and gave another bone-shaking cry. The call seemed to reach all across the lake, and distant markers that should have been out of the pulling range suddenly turned hostile and amassed towards the largest of their kind as it began dragging its massive frame forward.

Aoili arrived from the green behind the young mere moments later, having heard the inhuman shriek. Witnessing the impending threat she inquired into what happened and he quickly confessed what he had done. She noted the name in the distance, [Ruin Axolotl], and that it had two health bars, indicating it was a serious threat, and grabbed the younger boy's hand and started to run. "Whether it's a [Flag Mob] or the [Field Boss] for the region doesn't matter, right now we need to get out of its range before it makes land!"

The pair made for the bridge connecting the island to the others and traversed it. The wooden planks groaned as the pair crossed, only stopping as their [Stamina] ran out as they made it to the end of the bridge. Both were panting as they looked back to see the [Ruin Axolotl's] hostile marker still growing closer as it traversed the water to reach them and was joined by the [Lesser Axolotls] that had answered its call as though they were [Adds].

"We have to keep moving!" Aoili claimed, only to snap to attention when hostile markers appeared from the fauna ahead of them and more of the weak mobs appeared to cut off their escape. Setting her hand on the hilt of her rapier affixed to her hip, she spanned the world in her view and noted that the numbers were sufficiently high. "It's a [Trap] after all."

Taking heavy breaths as his [Stamina] had yet to replenish itself and running was out of the question Endel drew his blade and charged at the ones to his front. The sword was swung with impudence, cleaving through the pair in his way as he said, "We'll have to cut our way forward! They're all really weak, so if we keep going we can make it!"

Unable to argue the point, the sound of her blade leaving her sheath was pronounced as she joined him in guarding his rear as they advanced in a straight line through the island, standing their ground once their stamina ran out and waiting until it filled again before sprinting ahead of the largest of the enemies that chased them. They made it across the second bridge in short order and faced more of the same, but there was only one more island to go and they would make landfall and safety.

With that in mind, Endel's grip on the handle of his sword grew tight enough that he could feel the worn leather that composed it eat into his skin. This was his fault. There was no doubt about that in his mind. After she went of her way to bring him along, all he did was make things worse.

He misjudged the effectiveness of his magecraft and she took a tusk in the back for him. He got bored when all he had to do was fish through the stones to find the one she was looking for after promising to help her, and then he started grinding XP instead. Now they were running for their lives because of him and all he could do was continue to swing his sword—

"Huh?" The sound of confusion came after the unmistakable noise of his [Short Sword] shattering into countless pixels as he brought it through the slimy body of another of the weak mobs. Coming out of his swing off-balanced at the sudden loss, Endel fell to a knee as, almost as if they were laughing at him, the [Lesser Axolotls] made a short and low gurgling sound as they advanced on the young boy staring at his now empty hand.

Aoili stepped in and struck them down in haste in response, standing over him as she checked the durability on her weapon. Behind pursed lips she gritted her teeth as she noticed it had sustained quite a hit and was nearing its end. Something was amiss, but there was no time to focus on that as another shriek shook her to her bones and she looked to the water to witness the [Ruin Axolotl] was nearing them, the speed at which it cut through the water had easily doubled as if some invisible condition had been met.

"Endel-kun," she called, snapping him out of his frightful gaze at the impending threat as she materialized the largest of the charged quartz she had in stock. "Use your magecraft to clear out the ones to our rear so we can keep running."

"Uh…right." Endel stood up and proceeded to summon up the lens that called forth the hoarfrost in controlled bursts, moving it with [Telekinesis] to run it along the incoming trash mobs that hindered their escape. The cold-blooded amphibians seemed to be extra susceptible to the effects of the ice, something he noted as he thinned out their ranks.

Taking largest quartz and utilizing the Throwing Skill, Aoili threw it. The luminous streak marked the path through which it cut through the air towards the impending mob before she snapped her fingers. It ruptured with a roar like dynamite and a flare of prana great enough that it was visible for a moment, like the star in the night, and the [Ruin Axolotl] made a pained noise as it sustained damage, perhaps one-seventh of its health taken.

But, despite the inflicted damage its gaze never left the young boy to her back. Aoili could only conclude that it had marked the original target of its aggression with [Hate], a similar situation to what she had heard from the fake boss of the fifth floor. If that was the case, if she could simply damage it enough to reduce its health to the second bar she could draw its ire and give him a chance to escape before she saved herself…

The thought died as quickly as it came once she spotted it health bar being replenished, regenerating as it crossed the distance. Doing the math of the remaining ten crystals she had and taking into account her weapon's durability as well as the additional mobs still approaching them, things looked grim but still manageable if she hit it with all of them at once. However, with a final shriek, there was no more time to think as the sensation of prana being pulled from the air and towards the advancing [Ruin Axolotl] made itself known. "It's using magecraft!?"

Water churned and gathered, piling onto itself at the entrance of its gaping maw as the prana melded with it and brought it under the creature's command. Bundled into a spiraling sphere that soaked in the water in its path, it launched towards the shoreline with impudence and ruptured upon hitting solid land, the prana holding it together releasing it and allowing it to return to its loose and spread natural state in a wave that came crashing down upon that pair.

Swept off her feet by the surge, Aoili's body ached as it caught itself against a tree and she let out a sharp cry as the impact slammed her shoulder against the unyielding wood that stood strong against her frail body. It hurt, pain radiating throughout her already sore and aching body with every breath as she gasped for air while writhing on the soaked grass at the base of tree. Gritting her teeth, she took hold of the pain and desperately pushed it aside to reach up for the pendant.

Taking shuddering breaths once she felt it was in her grasp, she allowed prana flow into it and be colored by it before she directed it towards the swollen and brushed flesh that was beneath the fabric of her clothing. Relief came quickly, the throbbing agony dulled as it did its work, and she let out a sigh of relief as she brushed the sopping wet hair clinging to her face out of her eyes.

That breath of relief quickly became one of despair as she and witnessed Endel struggling to get onto his knees as the creature entered the shallows of the island and its massive body emerged into clear view. Easily dwarfing them both, the [Ruin Axolotl] had the same shape as its lesser counterparts but was colored pale gold as it cast its shadow deep enough that it swallowed the young boy's as he desperately clutched near his chest, most likely having something bruised or cracked from the impact of the water slamming into him as well.

Ignoring how it hurt just to breathe, she yelled at the top of her lungs as she witnessed the elongated tail rise up to meet the moon above. "Endel-kun! Move!"

Only able to throw himself to the side in a desperate attempt to avoid being crushed, the massive tail came down like a hammer. His small and frail body was thrown backwards as it crashed down, the moist earth dirtying his clothes and such as he tumbled like a ragdoll. Looking to the corner, where their health bars were displayed, Aoili ignored that fact that she was in the Yellow Zone and instead focused on the fact that he was borderline red and he was barely moving as the enemy began to advance.

Time. She had to buy him time. Taking a deep breath and delving into her already active circuits, Aoili could only pray that the [Reinforcement] spell functioned as it was supposed to as she activated the spell and scooped up her rapier. As the spell took effect, she forced her body to move as fast as possible to intercept the massive creature before it could finish him off with the silver light of a Sword Skill illuminating her rapier.

Crossing the distance in five steps, leaped towards the [Ruin Axolotl] Aoili unleashed the skill [Linear] towards the lidless right eye. The blade plunged deep into the black sphere that was its eye, fluid leaking as it registered a [Critical Hit] and the mob flinched with a shriek of agony. Abandoning the blade where it was, Aoili continued to press forward and took cover in front of the young boy as the mob shook its head fiercely to loosen the wedged blade while its adds continued onwards.

Wasting no time, she materialized multiple quartz crystals of various sizes and qualities and tossed her payload in a spread. Letting them hit the ground before surging prana through the passes she had established before venturing out, the prana grenades ruptured along the wet and moist earth, throwing up clumps of the soil deposits and water that peppered the various amphibians alongside the hard fragment that were carried by the force.

The concurrent explosions served their purpose two-fold. Penetrating deep into the slimy flesh of the weaker [Lesser Axolotls], they sustained the most damage and their numbers were thinned as those within the closest proximity of the detonating gems were devastated by the shockwave and the shrapnel.

Grabbing Endel's body and holding him fast, Aoili ran into the fauna of the island to seek shelter while she had the opportunity to do so but only making it so far within as her stamina failed her upon reaching a large bolder that rose to twice their height. Clinging to the backside of the rocky protrusion and out of its immediate visual range, which she hoped was its primary sense rather than something like echolocation, Aoili went through her inventory and pulled up the [Concealment Amulet V.3] and materialized it into her right hand. Wrapping her fingers around it until they were closed tightly around it and holding the young boy tight against her, she uttered the words that served as her [Aria] to aid in her concentration as her circuits transferred prana into it. "S-Shroud!"

The words aid her as she cycled prana through the amulet and it then became a small shroud that wavered over their bodies like a second skin, slightly luminous as the prana that was colored by the amulet and given purpose. It worked steady as the [Ruin Axolotl] emerged from behind the outcropping and turned its head left and right. Aoili stilled her own breath, refusing to breathe until, despite being within its sight, they failed to draw its attention and it moved on further down the path.

Only then did she let out a deep breath as the [Reinforcement] spell gave out and pain once again lapped at her body.

**-oOo-**

_2nd Floor Teleportation Gate – Urubus_

"So we'll part here, said a young woman with a soft voice. With her body covered in a [Light Cloak] that fell to her shins and there was a [Steel Naginata] in her hand. "Will you be alright from here on, Sanda-kun?"

Wen Fukazawa, or [Sanda] as he named himself in homage to someone he looked up to, nodded. With a [Black Scarf] wrapped in a bundle over his shoulders and neck, hiding his mouth, he spoke reservedly with his voice somewhat muffled. "I…can't thank you enough for accompanying me…"

"You sure weren't much of a conversationalist, that's for sure," said the second figure, lifting the rim their [Straw Hat] to reveal a face belonging to an older man in his mid-twenties. Stubble was present on his chin and his black hair was in a ponytail. "Honestly, it felt like we were carrying the conversations ourselves."

"Sorry," Sanda apologized sincerely, his eyes downcast.

The older man set a strong hand on his shoulder and sighed. "I was jesting. Come on, you've got to stop being so feeble. Wasn't the reason you gained this Extra Skill was because you wanted to live up to someone else?"

"Still…" The young woman cast her gaze down at the [Iron Gauntlets] he wore, heavy-type equipment typically belonging as part a set of armor. They stood out compared to the rest of his equipment, which was all light armor, scratches and gouges on the metal around the knuckles. "Using the [Martial Arts] exclusively is a bit reckless isn't it. Are you sure you don't want to get a set of claw-type weapons instead?"

Sanda looked at his armored fists for a moment and thought. Ultimately, he shook his head. "To be like that person…I need to use my fists. If I hide behind a weapon…well, it would be the same as before."

The older man scrunched up his chin in thought before smiling and pulling down the rim of his hat to cover his eyes. Setting a hand on the [Steel Katana] affixed to his hip, he then said, "It's not like we can't understand that line of thought. Falling into the role of someone else was why we entered the game in the first place. All of the [Ronins] can sympathize with that much."

The young woman nodded as well, "True, but I can't help but worry. There were a lot of close calls to this point. "

"He'll be fine," the older man assured his companion. "He gained enough experience partying with us and practicing with [Reinforcement] to go from Level 2 to Level 8. Plus, he pointed out some good things that made the trip profitable for the duration of our stay at that hut. Then again, that's a Beta Tester for you."

"Well, I guess you're right…" Her expression of uncertainty vanished, replaced by warm smile again. "Just be careful. You're on our [Friend's List] so you can send us a message any time."

He gave single nod. "Farewell, Sakamoto-san. Nakano-san."

With that said he accessed the teleportation gate and was swept away from the second floor.

**Part 3 - End**


	4. Chapter 1-4

_With Endel_

Endel ached as his consciousness surfaced, the sharp breath he drew in being his first one as his senses returned. The chilled air flowed down into his lungs and made him aware of the agony spread across his entire being, with the right side of his chest especially painful. As his lungs expanded and pressed against the source of that pain, he coughed violently at the burst of pain that followed.

Memory came before sight, his recollection of the weight of the water crashing down upon him followed by the massive tail leaving his small body in such a condition. He lurched forward at it, as if seeking to double over from the pain. But his body was caught by something and stilled him.

"Open your eyes, Endel-kun," said a soft voice, beckoning him from the memory. He did so, coming across a pair of grateful amethyst-eyes that was joined by a somber looking smile. It was Aoili. "Thank goodness, you're awake at last."

Endel opened his mouth to say something, but the sound of crashing wood and something hard trampling the ground made her go silent and she covered his mouth while reaching for a pendant that he hadn't seen before and saying…something. His senses blinked for the moment, his consciousness still weak and fleeting. But one thing he noticed was that she looked terrified as a large blur passed by while his vision was unfocused.

Only when the noise became distant did so breath out a breath she had been holding and removed the had she hand on his mouth. "Sorry, but it can only dampen sight and not sound. Anything that makes you stand out too much will break the concealment. Whatever variable is being used to mark you as its target of aggression hasn't gone away, at least not until you can get out of its perimeter and it resets, so the boss circles around every five or so minutes searching for us."

That was the boss…Endel thought, recalling the terror he felt. He almost jumped up, but agony over took his body and he trembled with a cry as the young woman held him still.

"Don't move!" she ordered, holding him tight against her body. "You took a lot of damage and it's taking time to heal. Moving now will only make things worse, Endel-kun."

"I-it'll find us…" he muttered weakly. He was scared.

"Extending the concealment amulet's effects will hide us both as long as you stay close," she explained in a controlled and low tone, despite the fact that as close as he was to her he could hear her heart beating rampantly. "But I can't move very fast like this while maintaining my concentration to cover the two of us and I need to finish healing you."

Listening carefully they could still hear the sound of the ground and fauna being trampled upon by the [Ruin Axolotl] circling the island looking for them. The noise made him want to instinctively reach for his sword, but then he recalled it had shattered while he was killing the adds.

…For starters you always rush headlong into things without thinking about the consequences… That was what his brother told him earlier that day. Hindsight was something that he rarely had due to his age, but looking back now it seemed to be clear there was truth to be had there.

The young boy's entire body trembled as he clenched his eyes shut in an effort to stem the tears. He felt scared, in hostile territory without a weapon. He felt guilty, having dragged this woman who allowed him to come out this far and kept him safe into this mess. Taking a deep breath that made him shudder, he told her, "I'm sorry."

She gave him gentle look as she applied the healing pendant to his body and relief slowly flooded him, trickling in. "For what?"

"For everything," he whined, his voice cracking. "I should have listened to him…to my brother. He told me I…I never thought about the consequences…that this wasn't just a game. If I had just listened to him…and now I can't even…tell him I'm sorry in person…this is my fault."

Letting out a soft breath, Aoili's expression softened as she lightly rubbed his head to comfort him. For the briefest of moments she recalled her own friend who had chided her for playing along in the game, before she came to a decision. "I have two quartz left that I can use as grenades once I finish healing you…I'm going to use them to clear out the bridge while you use the amulet to hide yourself as you cross it. You should be able to make it out of the area and send him a PM for help."

He shook his head, realizing the implications. "If I do that you won't have any way to get back yourself. If its [Hate] resets…it'll target you next without any way to defend yourself. It's only after me, so if I…"

"I'm not leaving you behind," she stated. "I brought you along so something like this didn't happen, and I failed. There isn't any other way, not before the boss catches us when the amulet breaks eventually, and we can't lure anyone else here with the boss and adds being capable of damaging weapons on contact."

"My brother can do it," Endel stated as he made the motions for menu to open and to type in a message. He flinched though, the pain briefly flaring as it hurt to move.

She held him still. "Don't move yet."

"He's past level ten," Endel stated. "He uses crossbows and he can bring stuff to help us, like weapons. At least to help us get away."

Aoili grimaced at the thought. True, if they could get weapons and maybe some more quartz, they could stand a chance or at least get away. As a [Flag Mob] on the first floor, it wasn't impossible for a party of four or three if strong enough to take it. Long-Range weapons and magecraft would be their best bets.

But she'd hate to place someone else in trouble for her sake. But then again it wasn't just her here, now was it? She let out a tense breath and agreed. "When the boss passes by again we'll send the messages. I'll hopefully be able to reach a contact of mine and be able give him a spare weapon for me or at least some extra gems."

If she answers the PM, a less than optimistic voice whispered in the back of her mind.

**-o0o-**

_1st Floor – Central Plaza of Starting City_

Yumina stood with her back rigid as she waited from the arrival of the person that Aoili said to give the gems she had left over to upon his arrival and cheap rapier. When they started out she herself had one, but switched to the spear quickly on the first day to put distance between her and the monsters. She hadn't sold any of them, so she still had them in her inventory.

As the cold of the night seemed to nip at her exposed legs, her hand that held the spear she had trembled in knowing that Aoili was in trouble. She knew something like that would happen and it did. And there was nothing she could do about it but give some equipment to player she knew nothing about and trust that he would get her back safely.

Her gaze fell upon a young man matching the description Aoili mention in the PM, just arriving at the near empty plaza and coming towards her.

"Are you [Yumina]?" he asked. When she nodded he promptly opened the trade window between them to get the equipment without banter or any dialogue. Not even any assurance that he was going to bring her back. It didn't sit well with her, like she couldn't get a feel for who he was without some context beyond his hair being abnormally colored.

How could she trust someone like this to bring her beloved friend back? She finished the trade and said, "I'm coming with you."

He gave her an inquisitive look, taking in her equipment and noting it was that of starter gear. While some players liked to have certain clothing for the sake of appearance rather than practicality, she didn't carry herself like someone good with a spear after being in the game for months. "What Level are you and are you good with any particular Magecraft?"

"Level 4 and I know how to use [Gemcraft]," she stated.

While Endri wasn't familiar with that particular brand of magecraft, it was the tone of her voice that gave him his doubts…that, and the fact that she was way too low of a level to be of any use to him. After a moment of just staring at her with his forest-green eyes, judging her, he shook his head. "You might be better off staying here then. The level recommended for the area is 7 at least and there's a Boss of some kind there, in addition to adds. No sense in having extra blood on my hands and you can't move fast enough to keep up."

Endri turned to continue to advance to the gate, only to come to a sudden stop as the neck of his green cloak choked him. He turned back to see Yumina clinging to it, He sighed at the sight and asked, "What now?"

"You think I'm unaware of being under-leveled or ill-prepared?" she inquired, her tone laced with anger. She was mad, to say the least, of someone looking down on her for not playing this game of the madman who trapped her in here. She didn't want to play, she didn't want to risk her life, and she didn't like the pain that was associated with using the game's magic system.

But Aoili needed her for once. Even if they hadn't spoken to one another for a time, after all the years they'd known each other and Aoili never once asked for anything in return, she reached out and pleaded with her for help to at least save the boy. Yumina was afraid, but if she let Aoili die after her first cry for help…what would be the point in staying alive then because she abandoned her to die?

She was going. Even if she had to run out and save her on her own, she would do it. "I'm going to save my friend, whether you take me or not. If you won't let me come then just give me the map data so I can go myself without running all over this Godforsaken place trying to get there before it's too late!"

"Troublesome…" Endri scratched his cheek and thought it over, before he sighed again. Technically speaking, he could easily ditch her. But if she ran off and got herself killed his brother would probably blame himself for that since this was his self-admitted fault. "Fine, we'll party up. I can't stop you one way or another, but at least this way the odds of getting something done increases rather than adding to the number of missing persons."

She released him at that point, and he opened up his menu to send a party invitation. He then factually added, "Still, it would be better to have an extra member with more experience."

"If you don't mind, I'll join you," spoke another player, standing next to the teleportation gate. They both turned their heads to see a black-scarf wearing player walking forward from the teleportation gate. "I was just coming in and heard her yelling…I think I've got the jist of everything. I'll be the extra person. "

"Reinforcements only make a difference when they don't get killed in a single hit," Endri stated, shooting a glance at Yumina. "I'm not taking on anymore dead weight, so what's your Level and Magecraft?"

"I've been practicing with [Reinforcement] for a bit, to where I can do it safely and enhance my entire body, as well as others," he stated. "Level-wise, I'm Level 8."

"Not bad, not bad," Endri admitted. But to be sure he understood the risks, he added, "We'll probably be running up against a [Flag Mob] that's capable of regeneration and potentially a dozen of trash mobs accompanying it. Are you willing to risk your life when you have no stake in this otherwise?"

The player's closed in thought for a moment. Then he nodded and spoke with resolve. "I…don't want to be a coward anymore. I can help, so I will."

"Better odds than before, I suppose…" Endri extended a party invite to him as well, which was accepted. Thus he saw that the black-haired player with a scarf covering his lower face was named [Sanda]. "But let's get this straight, both of you. I'm calling the shots since I'm the highest level at 11 and I know the way there. Got it?"

They both nodded, not really being able to argue with him on that point. With that settled, Endri turned towards the direction of the gate with the two others on his back. Pulling the hood of his cloak over his head, he said, "Let's go then."

**Chapter 1 - End**


End file.
